Give school & love to abandoned girls in Mexico

Several studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of expressing emotions through art in children that have experienced abandonment.

The girls at PA were very lucky to be selected by a Mexican Foundation to participate in an Art Expression Workshop. A year has passed since the girls first began to receive weekly art classes at home.

We can proudly say that they have discovered in art an extra vehicle to express their feelings as well as to discover their abilities and talents in this area.

At the end of this school cycle, the Foundation made an art exhibition in which the projects of the participating children were presented. The exhibition took place in an important place in the city, and there were prizes for the most outstanding paintings.

Two of our girls received first and second places for their work. They were surprised as well as pleased to realize that their paintings were selected among many others.

This experience awakened their curiosity to get acquainted with artists from Querétaro as well as to better understand the underlying meaning of these paintings.

As a result of this experience, new horizons have opened for them, awakening within them the light of creativity. As these abilities grow, we are sure they will develop a new-found sense of self-confidence, allowing them to transcend their fears of taking risks in their life.

We all hope one day we will have great artists in PA.

Links:

• web site

Our five youngest girls have been participating, for the past three years, as full members of the State of Queretaro Simphony Choir. Being members of this Choir has both been a privilege and a responsibility as it requires discipline, commitment and consistency. These attributes reflect on their everyday life behavior.

As the five girls and Puerta Abierta have committed to these responsibilities, the results have been growing. Their first public presentation two years ago was a total surprise to us all. The Choir choreography and performance gave us pride and joy, and the girls were motivated, happy and proud. Other presentations followed before different public audiences, including local, State and Federal government authorities. The Choir director and founder, a young, energetic man, himself having grown in a foster home, applied to have the Choir accepted In the 2014 Cultural Olympics, to be held this past July in Riga, Latvia. The Choir qualified and was accepted. Our five girls were to be part of this adventure. They received the economic support from several parents of other girls in the Choir and from our local Municipal government, as well as from funds obtained from several Choir presentations. Finally, the great day for travelling came up, even though there were a number of obstacles to overcome, among them just getting their passports!

For the Choir Director, having our girls being able to make the trip to Riga was of utmost importance, having a common child background with them. Being a believer that music, while providing discipline, is also an extraordinary emotional educational experience, it would allow them to view the world with different eyes, knowing that their lives would be positively transformed.

True to this belief, our girls have been transformed by this outstanding experience. Their current vision is that they can achieve their goals with determination, motivation and perseverance, in spite of whatever obstacles come their way. They now know that they can find the resources within them and in their environment to solve great problems.

For all of us at Puerta Abierta, this event has given us great satisfaction and a reflexive moment. As we continue to guide these young girls, we have to be conscious how the same experience has impacted each one of them in different ways and wether it has been significant or not . This confirms that education is an ever constant process to find the individual needs to make our girls better human beings.

Links:

• World Choir Games Riga 2014